Lord My Chef Daily Recipe for the Soul by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday, Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, 09 June 2026
1 Kings 17:7-16     ><)))*> + ><)))*> + ><)))*>     Matthew 5:13-16

God our loving Father,
we thank you for the gift of
this brand new day
especially for our brothers
and sisters in GenSan and other
parts of Mindanao struck 
by a powerful quake yesterday;
may this calamity bring out the
best among us as we try to rebuild
lives and cities anew.

Your words today,
dear God speak about
"bringing out" -
when Elijah came to Zarephath,
he asked your "designated widow"
to bring out for him 
"a cupful of water to drink...
along a bit of bread" while in the
midst of a widespread drought.

She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well; the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the Lord had foretold through Elijah (1 Kings 17:15-16).

Teach us to trust you
more in Jesus Christ your Son
who calls us today "salt of the
earth" and "light of the world" -
how lovely that both things are so
commonly found in every home
then and now that also do the same
what the widow of Zarephath did
in bringing out water and bread
to Elijah; may we be like the salt
that brings out the taste and flavor
of food that brings delight and 
nourishment to everyone;
likewise, may we be like the light
that dispels darkness to bring out
realities and things into sight. 

God our loving Father, 
may we never lose the saltiness
of the salt, the luminance of light
we already have but have taken
for granted, even traded for lesser
things that have severely affected 
our relationships, work, and inner life;
your Son Jesus Christ clearly called us
to make our light "shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds 
and glorify your heavenly Father"
(Matthew 5:16).

May we be clarified always
that being salt of the earth
and light of the world is not
self-promotion so common these days
but God's glory exactly what 
Elijah and the widow of Zarephath
did. Amen.